


If They Could Just Stay Little ...

by Ysabetwordsmith



Series: Love Is For Children [26]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Incredible Hulk (2008), The Incredible Hulk - All Media Types
Genre: #coulsonlives, Crafts, Families of Choice, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, Meditation, No Sex, Non-Sexual Age Play, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Non-sexual, Team as Family, Toys, Unconventional Families
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-26
Updated: 2015-06-26
Packaged: 2018-04-06 07:21:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4212921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ysabetwordsmith/pseuds/Ysabetwordsmith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Uncle Phil appreciates his time with Tony Carter.  Tony Stark appreciates being able to shed his name, his responsibilities, and what passes for his adulthood.</p>
            </blockquote>





	If They Could Just Stay Little ...

**Author's Note:**

> This poem was inspired by the "de-aged" square in [my 1-3-15 card](http://ysabetwordsmith.dreamwidth.org/10114270.html) for the fest and the [Day 6](http://snowflake-challenge.dreamwidth.org/15235.html) challenge for the Dreamwidth community Snowflake Challenge. It belongs to the series [Love Is For Children](http://ysabetwordsmith.dreamwidth.org/9744636.html). The mind jars were suggested by Ducky.
> 
> _In your own space, create a fanwork. A drabble, a ficlet, a podfic, or an icon, art or meta or a rec list. A picspam. Something. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so_.
> 
> This is wall-to-wall ageplay and cottoncandy fluff.

Tony Carter is precious,  
and Uncle Phil treasures  
every minute with him.

On game night, all the Avengers  
switch down to their younger selves,  
making up for lost time and  
missed opportunities.

In some ways, Tony Stark  
carries the most weight, even with  
Pepper running Stark Industries now --  
everyone wants a piece of him  
and there's not enough to go around.

The ageplay lets him relax, unwind,  
let out a part of himself he rarely shows.

There is honesty and insight  
along with the mischief.

Tony instigates a duel with Clint  
that involves guns which fire  
marshmallows and potatoes.

Phil makes them clean up the ammunition  
and reminds them to play nicely.

Tony climbs on Steve and Bucky  
as if they are playground equipment,  
and when Phil tries to shoo him off,  
they just laugh and say they're used to it.

Phil imagines a tiny Steve  
doing the same to Bucky, and  
does not try to intervene again.

Tony and Betty team up to build  
a catapult from Legos that launches  
Astronaut Barbie toward the ceiling.

They are still trying to make a parachute  
that will land her on her feet.

Tony eyes Natasha with wary respect  
and does not pester her while  
she is curled on the couch  
reading a children's book.

Phil watches, but Tony is good,  
and that's a relief.

Tony gets Bruce all excited  
running in circles and  
bouncing on the furniture,  
until Bruce flops onto the floor  
with his sides heaving and  
his heartbeat maybe a bit higher  
than is strictly advisable.

"Let's do a craft next," Uncle Phil says  
as he brings up the instructions on his StarkPad.  
knowing how much Bruce loves meditation.  
"We're each going to make a mind jar."

Phil sends Bucky to fetch  
an assortment of small containers  
made from Tony's unbreakable crystal.  
Meanwhile Uncle Phil lays out food coloring  
plus a wide assortment of glitter and sequins.

"If I may suggest glycerine as well as glitter glue,"  
JARVIS says, "that may yield more stable results."

Bucky comes back with a whole box of supplies,  
including jars of different sizes and the glycerine.

"Choose your colors," Phil says  
as the littles sort through various jars.

"Red and gold," Tony says at once.

"Red isn't very soothing,"  
Phil points out.

"Just make the solution yellow,  
with gold and red glitter," Bruce says,  
and Tony likes that idea.

Bruce himself wants purple, and so does Clint.  
Natasha wants red, but allows Clint  
to soften it to a red-violet.  
Betty chooses pure pink.

"Can I have three colors?" Steve asks.

"Of course," Phil says. "If you choose  
different sizes of glitter for each,  
they should settle at different rates."

So Steve winds up with big red flakes,  
smaller holographic silver, and superfine blue  
all suspended in clear fluid.

Bucky mixes a deep blue liquid  
with midnight glitter that has  
just a bit of the silver mixed in.

The littles lie on the floor watching  
their bottles and jars slowly clear.

When they are satisfied with the timing  
of the glitter settling, Phil helps them  
to seal the containers closed  
so that nothing can spill.

Then Bruce discovers that somehow  
a green sequin has gotten into his purple glitter  
so he wants to reopen the jar and take it out.

"Hey, no, don't do that," Tony says.  
"Watch what it does." He shakes the jar,  
sets it down, and then points to the bottom.  
"See? That one is always the _first_ thing to settle."

From that point on, Bruce is mesmerized by it.

"Tony Carter, you are a genius,"  
Uncle Phil murmurs, hugging him.

**Author's Note:**

> "If they could just stay little 'til their Carter's wear out" is a slogan from a [maker of children's clothing](http://www.carters.com/carters-baby-boy-collections-top-trends-winter-trends/756420343424.html).
> 
> [Toy paratroopers](http://www.ustoy.com/mini-toy-paratroopers) are popular, but you can [put a parachute](http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Toy-Parachute) on almost anything.
> 
> [Mind jars](http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Calming-Glitter-Jars/) are useful for [meditation](http://mindfulmichigan.com/making-a-mind-jar-for-kids/) or [science experiments](http://mommaowlslab.blogspot.com/2012/02/science-thursday-glitter-jars.html).
> 
> [Glitter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glitter) comes in many styles, including [holographic](http://www.artglitter.com/retail/glitterpages/rultfopaholo.htm). For making mind jars, get a good kind of craft [glitter glue](http://rangerink.com/?product=stickles%E2%84%A2-glitter-glue), which works better than cheaper varieties.
> 
> [Color symbolism](http://www.incredibleart.org/lessons/middle/color2.htm) suggests that [cool colors are more soothing](http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/stress-management/stress-and-color) than warm ones. However, it's more important to have a meditation jar that looks pretty to the person using it.


End file.
